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Integrating sustainability in higher planning education through international cooperation: Assessment of a pedagogical model and learning outcomes from the students’ perspective

Josefine Fokdal (Department of International Urbanism, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany)
Ratka Čolić (Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia)
Danijela Milovanović Rodić (Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia)

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education

ISSN: 1467-6370

Article publication date: 4 October 2019

Issue publication date: 9 January 2020

741

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to supplement existing research on a joint approach to integrate sustainability into higher planning education (HPE) by facilitating an international transformative learning process. It looks at three different urban master’s programs in Serbia (Belgrade) and Germany (Berlin and Stuttgart).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, students' assessments of the pedagogical model, individual learning outcomes and the long-term value of the pedagogical model in respect of key competences for sustainability are presented and discussed. Basic assumptions of the study include that assessment from the students' perspective can provide feedback on the transformational learning experience with the aim of improving the experience and thus learning outcomes; help identify limitations and target specific areas for improvement in the pedagogical model; and improve the evaluation of effectiveness in developing knowledge and skills for sustainability in HPE.

Findings

The paper provides evidence that a learner-centered and action-oriented approach, as well as a global dialogue among peers from different backgrounds and nationalities, is an effective way to educate future generations of urban planners to become “change agents” for societal transformation toward a more sustainable future within their respective contexts.

Originality/value

The paper is a supplement to the existing research on educational initiatives that attempts to integrate sustainability into the curricula, especially of urban-related programs; showcases outcomes of the pedagogical model(s) for sustainable development applied, especially when addressing the competences of students working in developing, transitional and developed countries or different geographic contexts; and shows long-term learning outcomes after the students move into work practice.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Cooperation was supported by the GIZ/AMBERO–ICON project “Strengthening local land management in Serbia”, Obrenovac and Stari Grad municipalities, and the ERASMUS program funding by the European Union. We also wish to thank Marija Maruna for her valuable insight and contributions to earlier versions of this text, as well as the reviewers of the journal.

Citation

Fokdal, J., Čolić, R. and Milovanović Rodić, D. (2020), "Integrating sustainability in higher planning education through international cooperation: Assessment of a pedagogical model and learning outcomes from the students’ perspective", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-01-2019-0045

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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